Once, Never Again
by Lady of the Trance
Summary: In the midst of war, Link finds himself in a twisted web of romance with two different girls. Based on the love story of the film Pearl Harbor.
1. He Returns

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda characters. This is a Pearl Harbor-style romance; if you've seen the 2001 summer blockbuster you will know what I'm talking about. I know there are other fanfics on this site with related ideas, but my fic is still quite different. You might think it is short, but I firmly believe in quality, not quantity. Maybe my fic isn't that great though. Some of the information in this fic is incorrect, but please go with the flow for the sake of it being fan fiction.  
  
  
  
Chapter One: He Returns  
  
Zelda busily tended to her garden in the courtyard. It was there she first set her eyes on her beloved, Link; once as a friend, once as a love. She reminisced about the awkward days several years ago: how she begged for his assistance to rescue the land of Hyrule from the rapture of the sinister Ganondorf. Zelda didn't think of Link as her Kokiri prince back then, despite the fact that every girl Link encountered had the tendency to fall in love with him. He was just Link of the Kokiri, destined to be Hyrule's homegrown hero. As Link succeeded in diminishing evil in various lands, thus earning him the title "Hero of Time," Zelda grew to think of him differently. He was no longer the pint-size Kokiri boy running around with a slingshot in hand; he was the handsome Hylian prince she had always dreamed about. This shocking realization occurred to her a few years after Link returned from his adventures in Termina. Peace prevailed once more in the lands of Hyrule and Termina. His work was done. Link visited Hyrule Castle frequently, keeping the princess company. She enjoyed his presence with greater intensity each time he ventured to see her. Zelda found the hole in her life mending when Link was around; she found the bits and pieces in her life completing like a puzzle. When she finally had the nerve to tell him, Link did not back away with fear; he embraced her courage with warmth – and with his own revelation of secret feelings. It turns out both of them were disguising their romantic feelings for several years. Finally, they would be able to relieve their hidden desires and bask in the love they both had been longing for.  
  
"Zelda, is that you?"  
  
She stopped playing with a pale pink snapdragon and searched around for the mystery voice. The voice brought sweetness to her heart. She began to walk over to the entrance of the courtyard.  
  
"Why, my lovely princess, you're still the same. Time has yet to fade your beauty." Link stepped out from behind a pillar, waiting on the top step with arms wide open.  
  
Zelda dashed into his open arms with wild excitement. She thrust her arms around his neck and whispered softly, "My hero, it has been an eternity."  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't bring you along to Termina," Link apologized and wrapped a strong arm around her waist. "My Termina friends may have grown wary listening to my regrets for not bringing you. That doesn't matter, though; it shouldn't matter, as long as we're together now."  
  
Zelda leaned up to his cheek and kissed it lightly. "How I missed you ever so much."  
  
"Excuse me, Princess Zelda?" a firm male voice interrupted their timely embrace. It was one of the guards. Link released his hand from her waist and Zelda took her hands off his neck.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ms. Impa wishes to speak to you," the guard walked away and allowed the princess' old caretaker to approach her.  
  
"Princess, there is something urgent you need to know. There will be a meeting at the Chamber of Sages very soon; if we leave right now-"  
  
"Yes, yes, we shall leave right now. Please give me a moment," Zelda turned away and returned to Link. "I have to leave for now, but I promise I will return very soon. Please wait for me here." She briefly kissed him goodbye and turned back to Impa. "Let's hurry."  
  
Impa waved her hands and created a shield of light around them. She waved her hands a second time, and they disappeared in a flash. They arrived to find the other sages waiting patiently. The meeting commenced immediately. Rauru delivered the urgency to the other sages.  
  
"I have some terrible news. Although we have thought to lock the evil spirits terrorizing Hyrule into an impenetrable universe, our remarkable powers have failed us. Unfortunately, the dark spirits that we sealed away years ago are once again after the Triforce, and their loyal henchmen are once again roaming our peaceful land," Rauru wore a disappointed look on his face.  
  
"But that cannot be possible!" Nabooru denied accepting the truth.  
  
"How could our powers fail us?" demanded the Fire Sage Darunia.  
  
Rauru continued to explain, ignoring the reactions of the other sages. "Mind you, their henchmen are meandering in Hyrule, for now. The true creations of evil are still trapped in the dark world. The universe is densely layered, and every work of evil is banished to the end, but the end is variable to each enemy. Those with hearts clogged with treachery and spite to the last artery (although I hardly consider these scoundrels to even possess such an organ) plummet furthest in the abyss, leaving them in the trench they burrowed themselves in during their lives in Hyrule.  
  
If you look at it in this perspective, their henchmen may receive a less severe punishment by being banished to an end slightly higher in the hole. Over time, these workers of wrongdoings crawl slowly up the ladder again, eventually reaching the 'door' separating them from the land of Hyrule. As I mentioned before, we thought we sealed them away permanently, but supposedly nothing lasts forever."  
  
Zelda was as shocked as the rest of them. "What ever should we do?"  
  
"We, the seven sages, will fight them off ourselves as soon as possible. Soon as in, soon as the sun sets tomorrow, we shall depart to fight off the evil spirits. Meet back here tomorrow at the sun down. Hyrule's fate cannot wait," Rauru turned away from the sages. "This meeting is over."  
  
Zelda returned to the peaceful courtyard where Link waited for her. He was sitting on the steps, staring off into space. He turned around at the immediate rustle of soft footsteps. Link looked her in the eyes and noticed the sadness dwelling in the pale blue irises. He stood up to welcome her back, and she almost collapsed in his arms. They sat down on the steps together.  
  
"What's wrong, my princess?" he stroked her hair gently.  
  
Zelda locked her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She let a tear drop on his tunic. "I have to leave you tomorrow; for how long, I do not know." Zelda looked deeply into his blue eyes and saw the tides crash against the shore. She then saw a tidal wave build up and finally collapse, washing up and destroying everything in sight. Her voice began to croak up. "The spirits we sealed up long ago are free. We, the sages, need to infiltrate their shaky universe and twist the true evils. Time passes faster in their world; in Hyrule, a day is their minute."  
  
"At least let me come along." Link wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"No," Zelda nuzzled her face lightly against his neck. "I don't want to see you get hurt anymore." She began to think optimistically as he placed an arm around her waist. "It won't be easy, however, my fellow sages will be present to assist me."  
  
Link cradled her in his arms. There was nothing more to say at a time like this. Zelda broke the silence when she looked up to him and whispered softly in his ear, "Link, could you please do me a favor?"  
  
"Yes, for you, anything," he responded with such agreeability that it almost melted her heart.  
  
Zelda was serious, with a frozen look in her eyes. "Please do not visit me tomorrow." She looked away from him for a moment, trying to avoid his reaction. "I cannot stand to leave you in such a way."  
  
"My dear princess," Link was astounded with fright. "You make it seem like you are leaving Hyrule permanently." The word permanently struck a harsh chord in his mind; the chord that always seemed sour when played with a beautiful melody on his ocarina.  
  
"Oh, Link, that was not my intention," she grasped his hand tightly. "I cannot stand to think that I'm leaving you to lock away villainous spirits; what about the ones lurking in Hyrule? Isn't there enough meandering the marketplace and Hyrule Field at night? I don't want you to worry about me. Simply…I do not want to see that sad look in your eyes."  
  
Link closed his eyes, to assure his sadness went undetected to Zelda. He gripped her hand. He leaned into her ear and whispered, "You will never have to see it again." As the sun began to set across the magical blue sky, he pulled her even closer, his hold on her even tighter than ever before. As the stars began to fall on the castle, they gazed into each other's eyes, wishing the next day would never follow. 


	2. Alternate Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda_ series.  I also do not own _Pearl Harbor_, which is what I based this story off of.

Chapter Two: Alternate Darkness

    News of the released spirits spread across Hyrule like wildfire.  It sparked in Hyrule Castle, struck the Marketplace, thrust Kakariko Village ablaze, lit up Kokiri Forest, burned Lon Lon Ranch, ignited Zora's Domain, and third degree burns on Gerudo Valley.  The land of Hyrule overflowed with paranoia, leaving even the most careless citizen with a worrisome residue that wouldn't wash off.  Their hearts were full of hope and prayer for the seven sages.  Once the spirits were locked away again, they were confident peace would prevail, like always.  In the late afternoon, before the sun could set, every resident of Hyrule bowed down in silent prayer for each of the sages.  Link kept his promise to Zelda and did not venture to Hyrule Castle.  He tried to hide his sad thoughts, in case she knew what he was thinking at the moment.  When the sun set, he closed his eyes, trying not to think of the pain he was experiencing.

    Meanwhile, the seven sages prepared to transport themselves into the dreadful world of the evil spirits.  Before they made the travel, Zelda requested a moment to think of the world in peace for a clear mind and to keep a reasonable grip on reality.  The last thing she thought of was her beloved, smiling at her with magnificent blue eyes.  When the moment had passed, the seven sages pressed their powers together to produce a force nearly as strong as the Triforce itself.  They transported to the dark world of the formerly trapped spirits.  

    "I understand that we must stick together," Ruto, the Zora princess, pointed out when they literally floated into the alternate world.  

    "Yes, it would be wisest.  As sages, we are strongest when our powers are combined," Saria replied.

    "We must travel to the ends of this universe, but we must do it together," Rauru tried to keep the group focused.

    As they floated along in a tight pack, they passed the multiple copies of henchmen they had encountered before.  A group of low flying keese tried to nick them with their sharp fangs, but missed by an angle.  Skulltulas hissed at them as they dropped down from unseen webs.  Deku scrubs spat deku nuts at the group from afar, but ducked down in their burrows when passing near.  Poes appeared and reappeared, grinning with wickedness as they eyed the sages.  ReDeads waited for a vacant back to jump on and suck the life energy out of, but the sages passed on without any additional passengers.  A tektite leapt in front of Nabooru, and she almost attempted to attack when Impa held her back.

    "Most creatures in this universe are illusions," Impa led Nabooru away.  "They cannot hurt you."

    "I sense that we are at the heart of this dark world," Rauru closed his eyes and appeared to be deeply concentrating.

    "I can only wonder how much further we are to the end," Darunia glanced around with curious eyes.

    The sages passed by another large section of potential attackers.  Some of the sages almost felt compelled to attack, but they were casually reminded of the illusions in this part of the universe.  They continued to travel through unbearable light conditions.  Each sage developed an ominous instinct, but didn't think about turning back.  Trying to return to the once peaceful world would be more dangerous than going ahead.  Finally, they reached a point at which they considered the end.  The path ahead appeared to be nothing but an ongoing horizon, but to an absolutely unseen path to nowhere. There, they noticed undistinguishable patches of smoke gathering to apparently form past enemies had been sealed up.  The only recognizable and distinctive smoke structure appeared to be visible in the form of Ganondorf.  The sages were amazed to find this horrible spirit still able to reconcile its original form.  Zelda was the most shocked out of all of them; nightmares of this awful man flooded her mind without any mercy at all.  She remembered the days when he posed as a trustee of the royal family, but only to use them on his greedy conquest for the Triforce.  Zelda was the only one to protest against the validity of his friendship.  Her mind then flashed with memories of the final battle between him and Link.  She then remembered the final blow Link took to destroy his physical form.

  She almost wanted to attack him personally, all by herself, but the other sages restrained her.

    "No, it is far too dangerous to do so yourself!" Saria warned her.

    "It is only a spirit.  We will get to him later," Rauru told her.

    "No, later is not soon enough!" Zelda thrust her hands in the air, summoning a great force that she apparently controlled with her fingertips.  

    Ganondorf winced at her slightly and pretended to be oblivious about her attempt to attack.  She sent all of her remaining energy to him, but he stood calmly as if waiting for her attack.  He finally put some defense into action, and set forth a powerful force field around him, deflecting the attack.  The attack was sent directly back to her, and in other words, her own powers struck her down.  Zelda collapsed upon impact, her attack being weak enough to twitch an enemy, but strong enough to hurt herself as well.  Her eyes closed and her body froze in the moment of time.  No scream was heard from the princess.  Ganondorf glared down at the princess and he could be seen laughing 

    "Zelda!" Impa and the other sages cried out as they watched the princess fall into the mass of billowing black clouds.  

   The sages raced over to where they saw her fall, reaching deep into the dirtying black, only to find their hands covered in soot.  They tried to shove the clouds aside, in hopes of finding her at the end of the soot pile, but the mass was never-ending and bottomless.  It was possible that she could have slipped through the clouds and into an abyss of evil, but there was no way to find out for certain.

    "This is a terrible thing to say, but – maybe the princess melted within the clouds, or maybe she is at the very intangible bottom and-" Darunia was running out of euphemisms.

    The remaining sages sighed, knowing exactly what Darunia meant to mention, but could not put into the right words.  The group fell into a silent grief for a long time, until Nabooru dared to speak.

    "What are we supposed to tell the people back in Hyrule?  Their dear princess accidentally slipped away while we ventured into the other realm?  That will not be an agreeable reason to them," Nabooru thought of words of sympathy.

    Rauru tried to think logically.  "We can't return to Hyrule now, even out of respect for a member of the royal family.  There are restless spirits reawakening to press vengeance.  Also, there is no believable explanation regarding her body."

    "They should at least be told about her…transition to another world," Ruto felt strapped for euphemism like Darunia. 

    "I think they will find out soon enough.  The Goddesses already are well informed of this tragedy.  They will report it to the right people," Saria assured her.  (Note: Ever read/seen the _Odyssey_?  Think of it this way.  Athena has the ability to speak to and appear visible to anyone she wishes.  The Goddesses have a similar power.)  "For now, we will have to focus on eradicating both worlds of malicious threats of life."

     The sages sighed deeply, but they knew she was right.  With heavy hearts of sadness, they moved ahead in solemn silence.


	3. Overcast Skies of Hyrule

Chapter Three: Overcast Skies of Hyrule

    A dark shadow was cast over the land of Hyrule the following day.  The sky fell overcast with gray clouds and even less sun rays.  Gradually, the tragic news struck every village.  There was no telling where it started; when a Goddess begins to whisper, nothing is a secret anymore.  The citizens were hesitant for the news to sink in and melt into their hearts, for death was never an easy subject in Hyrule.  The royal family was sent the hardest blow in the wake of Princess Zelda's death.  Her relatives remembered her as the fragile little girl in constant need of help and rescue.  They were even more disappointed when her body was left unreported; the nobility couldn't bear to imagine what horrible pain she suffered and what kind of nightmarish place her corpse remained unrest.  Now her corpse could not be laid to rest in the royal family vault with the rest of her ancestors.

    Link rode across Hyrule Field on Epona, and he noticed the change of sky.  He was heading to Kakariko Village.  He dismounted himself from his horse, and left her behind near the stairs to the village.  His first stop was the bazaar, which was originally settled in the marketplace.  The bazaar made its permanent move to Kakariko Village after Ganondorf gained control of Hyrule several years ago.  The shopkeeper didn't bother to move back even after Ganondorf was defeated, since he became accustomed to the quiet setting of Kakariko Village.  Now, the marketplace was once again flooding with ReDeads and other vile creatures, waiting to swoop over anything that moved.  

    The shopkeeper leaned his head on the counter in a dazed state when Link entered the bazaar.  He wasn't in the mood to greet the customers in a jolly voice like usual.  Today he didn't feel like moving at all.  

    "Excuse me," Link tried to get the man's attention.

    The shopkeeper glanced at Link.  "Oh, hello, sir."  His voice was monotone and depressing.  When he realized who he was talking to, he looked away from Link instantly.  "I'm very sorry."

    "My dear old shopkeeper," Link patted the large man on his broad shoulders.  "Why do you appear so glum today?"

    "My deepest condolences to you, sir," the shopkeeper ignored Link's question, trying not display any sign of disrespect.  

    "Condolences?  Excuse me?" Link didn't comprehend the man's apologies.

    The shopkeeper placed his hands around Link's and begged for forgiveness.  "Please, sir.  I did not mean to exhibit a demonstration of disrespect for you or your dear princess."

    Link looked down at the man with a wide-eyed expression.  "Princess Zelda?  Why, she's away fighting the evil spirits.  How are you showing any disrespect toward me or the princess?"

    "Sir, I suppose you do not know," the shopkeeper tried to piece together euphemisms in his mind.  It was like solving a puzzle without a clue.  

    "I am not informed.  Please, tell me," Link lent an ear and his heart open to whatever shocking indifference the shopkeeper could tell him.

    "This is inappropriate to hear from me, for I am a humble merchant," the shopkeeper struggled to continue, finally tying his euphemisms together with a hefty, durable knot.  "Your dear princess was involved in an altercation in the other world and…well, she sacrificed her soul to the vicious but ascended to the land of the righteous."

    Link was reluctant to speak, and he stared into blank space for a few minutes.  He completely blacked out within the moment emotionally, but remained at the shop counter in physical form.  He gripped a hand to his chest and felt a chill from his body.  Link saw his life flashing before his eyes, lastly ending with his romantic embrace with Zelda under the stars the night before she left.  He felt a gentle brush from her lips and her hands cradling his neck in spirit, or possibly in realistic memory.  He was not sure.  As his vision came back into focus, her eyes became visible and were staring right back into his.  He noticed the brilliant sparkle glinting in her irises, like the stars in the sky from that very night.  He opened his eyes wide, trying to absorb the moment in exact duplication.  He could not even dare to glance up at the stars twinkling around him, for he found all the shooting stars and moons directly in her eyes.  This felt so real that Link reached his arms out to grasp her slender waist, but he was surprised to find his hands gripping the cold wood of the shop counter.  The shopkeeper stared at Link strangely, but he understood his pain.

    "Sir, it will be fine," the shopkeeper tried his hand at being a comfort.  "There are many lovely young ladies out in Hyrule.  There ought to be someone that will bring you the same joy you felt with the princess."

    Link felt his stomach flip and his heart leap out in shock.  "You do not understand.  No one will ever give the equivalent of happiness that my princess brought to me.  That type of love is once in a lifetime."  Without saying another word, Link left the shop in a fury.  He was outraged to even try to believe in loving again.

    He decided to depart from Kakariko Village as quickly as possible.  He leapt upon Epona's back, and directed her in the direction of Lake Hylia.  Once they arrived at the lush lake, he dismounted from his horse again and walked solo across the bridge to an isolated piece of land in the middle of the lake.  A tall tree sowed in the soil on the island, and he sat down, leaning back on the bark of the tree.  He felt like practicing his archery skills, just to distract himself.  Link almost wished he could send his heart via bow to Zelda in the heavens above, but he was well aware that his arrows would never reach the skies of divinity.  He knew that his heart would be too heavy an item to carry to the heavens, for they were cumbersome with emotions and bleeding with catharsis.  He sat down again, dreaming hopelessly of his true love.  He took out his ocarina, and absentmindedly placed his fingers on the holes and blew threw the top.  His fingers played his beloved's lullaby, which she taught him years ago when they first met.  He repeatedly played the melody, hoping she would be able to hear him.   

    Link took off his green hat and placed it upon his heart.  A calm wind rustled past him, messing his hair up.  He stared down in silence, thinking of ways to bring Zelda back.  Then he constantly reminded himself that nothing could bring her down to earth again.  He prayed for the sensation of her kiss, and the gentle warmth generated from her fingertips smoothing his back.  He closed his eyes until they were just little slits, and tried not to hold back his emotions any longer.  A tear meekly released from his right eye and fell on his hat, plainly showing his heartbreaking despair.


	4. Discovering Solace

_The pre-chapter note: Will you, kind reader (If thou of any existence anymore), please accept my deepest apologies for not updating this fanfic any sooner?  My summer vacation is nearly over now, and I've finally found the time/inspiration to add another chapter to this insane mockery of a love story.  Also, I sort of promised a friend I'd update.  The greatest difficulty in composing this chapter was my adaptation of an April-May idea into a genuinely August idea, so I actually ended up creating the main portion of it over the past three hours, changing my entire storyline along the way.  Please excuse the entire craziness of this, but may you also enjoy it._

Chapter Four: Discovering Solace

    The days following his discovery, Link spent them pondering about the past.  He returned to his old home in Kokiri Forest and spent much of his time alone.  He didn't dare to venture to the outside during this time.  The Kokiri tried their best to cheer their old friend up.  Even Mido, Link's childhood rival, sent his deepest sympathies to the Hylian hero.  Link accepted their condolences with kindness, but he did not know how to respond.  He searched for comfort under the billowing branches of the Great Deku Tree, but found his hurt on the same level as before.  He asked the tree philosophical questions such as, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" and "Why should death separate heaven and earth?"  The Tree did not utter a syllable in response, except for the wind brushing through the tree's branches, which was not the most acceptable answer to him.  The leaves shook lightly, like a wind chime song gone wrong.  He would ask again, even in a sweeter tone, but the Tree would repeat its brutal sentence.  A few times Link was almost tempted to tear the leaves away from their rightful branches, just to make his own despair even with the Tree.  However, he always retained his anger and left to find other animate forms of solace.  

    _A month slipped away.  _Hyrule Castle was no longer his home anymore.  The court began to honor him as a guest again, but he always refused their invitations.  He almost wanted to join them for supper, but he always allowed his feelings to interfere.  He was still aching, trying to grieve, and yearning to breathe.  He was still learning how to cope with death of a loved one, especially of one he cared for more than any soul in Hyrule.  Every time he thought of Zelda, his trachea would narrow up and run dry like the sandstorms of a desert.  Time was moving faster than he could protest, and gradually he found her image fading from the canvas of his heart.  Each color that painted her portrait told a story, but he found each color lightening by a tint.  She never announced a formal departure, but that was the way time worked.  He found the courage to laugh again, and even guffawed heartily a few times at the Kokiri's best jokes.  

     _Another month and a few more moons and suns crossed the Hylian sky._  He eventually ventured outside of Kokiri Forest to the places he used to know so well.  Of course, the entire land of Hyrule still reminded him of the one he loved.  Everything remained the same since she last walked on Earth, although the evil forces were now infesting the region.  Each day a new wave of wickedness swarmed the vicinity, but Link did little to stop them, as he did not encounter them too often.  Oblivion had overpowered him into an unconscious state of blindness; even corrective lenses could not bring his lost sight back.  She was simply a part of him.  When she left, the mysterious half departed from him too.  He knew what it was like to survive with a figuratively torn heart, one with the most relevant veins and arteries missing.  The others just didn't know.  

   The other Hylians were uncertain of the appropriate remarks to say to Link, so they barely spoke to him at all.  They only spoke when it was required for business or out of politeness, but otherwise not many words were conversed between Link and the other Hylians.  

   "Good day to you, sir.  Lovely day, madam," Link tipped his hat to the young pair of lovers that had recently relocated to Kakariko Village one day.  They were still spinning in their usual circles, never releasing from a passionate embrace.  

   Not a word passed from their lips, at least not to Link.  They were so wrapped up in their own storybook romance that they ceased to recognize another breathing soul.  Of course, they rarely ever spoke to anyone else anyway.

    With time's ticking hand, Link eventually found _himself letting go.  It was simply the right thing to do.  What would our hero be like if he held onto every single memory beyond creation?  He would never be able to enjoy life if he absorbed himself in his troubles for every waking hour and every hour spent in slumber.  So he spent his time for what it was worth.  Not a moment did he remain idle.  _

    It was a new lust for life.  Gradually, Link found his busy moments to be a reawakening of life, the daybreak of a new day.  Although nothing is imagined to compare to the sun's radiating golden gleam cast for miles overhead, his astounding rejuvenation just might have been the exception.  Even while absorbed in simple activities such as riding his horse or practicing his archery skills, he experienced a new sensation he never knew of before.  Possibly, it was an appreciation for what he had and what he could lose unexpectedly.

    "Good afternoon, kind shopkeeper," Link greeted the Kakariko Village shopkeeper brightly one mundane morning following his gradual enlightenment.  

    "A good day to you too, sir," the shopkeeper replied in his usual jovial tone he kept hidden in response to Zelda's departure.  "How have the days and months passed for you?"

    "Oh, they have passed obliviously," Link was almost slow to realize how many months had passed already.

     "Time certainly flies," the shopkeeper sighed with a touch of relief in his tone.

     "Yes."

     Silence.

     "Time has certainly taken its toll," the shopkeeper seemed quite absorbed in the issue of time.  "Have you ever considered searching for.."

     The shopkeeper paused for a great deal of time, as if debating what to ask Link.

     "Why, yes?" Link pushed the shopkeeper to ask his question.  "Come on, out with it now."

     "Excuse me, that was not the appropriate question to ask," the shopkeeper immediately retracted his question from further discussion.

     Link left the lonely shop after a few minutes of conversation.  He climbed onto his saddled horse and directed her to Lake Hylia.  It almost seemed ironic that the first place he found solace for his grief was now what he considered the happiest place in Hyrule.  He found the large surrounding fields to be perfect for riding and the trees perfect for shooting targets.  Sometimes, he would venture in the quiet waters of the lake, usually exploring the bottom of the lake with the aid of his iron boots.  While meandering through the deepest portions of the lake, he often found treasure. Today, he was definitely in the mood for a little deep underwater exploring.

    He left Epona near a close tree trunk and walked over to the water's edge.  Diving swiftly, he landed with a splash a few feet from the edge, and he tread water until he reached an even deeper portion of the water.  He peered down to the bottom, and although an amazing depth away, he was still able to notice the undeniable sparkle of a red rupee burrowed underneath a few cakes of dirt.  Lake Hylia had a widespread reputation for its water's clarity and its lovely view of shimmering cerulean blue on a day of sweet sunlight.  

    As soon as the red crystalline glitter caught his eye, he immediately returned to the land and grabbed his iron boots, and he grew quite anxious as he was strapping them on as he almost placed one on the wrong foot.  He splashed into the water again, this time plummeting deeper as a result of the iron boots pulling him to the floor with great force.  When he finally felt his feet touch the floor, he practically limped to the site of the twinkling ruby object.  He kneeled down to brush away the few clumps of dirt in between him and his acquisition of another rupee.  When the rupee was rescued from its watery grave, Link fumbled the receptor of poinsettia-tinted light between his fingers before finally raising it high above his head in overwhelming triumph.  Before depositing it in his rupee satchel, he playfully peered through the translucent mirror of the gem to view the deep cast sun beam nearest him, which gave him an eyeful of crimson shine.  He unhitched his iron boots and floated upward, breaking the surface with a massive splash.

   "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" a familiar female voice with an innocent accent remarked when he poked his head above water.  "Link, it's been quite a long time."

   Link blinked his eyes rapidly to rid themselves of excess moisture, and when his vision finally focused he matched the voice of his spectator to her proper form.

_The after chapter note: Sorry for the cliffhanger.  Are you psyched to find out what will happen next?  I will **try to post the next chapter soon, but if anything I'll have to do it before school starts in a week and a half.  Again, I apologize for my extreme lateness.  And now, it's **__3:28 AM__ on August the 14th, and I need sleep.  Namaste.___


End file.
